How many of us are campers?

[creekland]

What is "cabin camping"? What about staying in a cabin is camping? It's a house.

 

It's all terminology really, very similar to how BBQ has different meanings to different people from slow cooked meat to grilling to sloppy joes.

 

Love it. Got rained out from going this weekend.

 

Sorry you got rained out! 

[SproutMamaK]

I'm kind of in between your first three options. Our family as a whole loves camping. I'm... okay with camping, but I'd prefer to be on a beach at some tropical, all-inclusive resort, if we could afford that (which we can't). So it suits our needs and I'm okay with it, but everyone else loves it and I love that I'm getting a vacation without going broke. ;)

We have a tent trailer. This summer will be the first that our family has outgrown the trailer, so for the first time the bigger boys will get their own tent outside. I'm not sure how I feel about that quite yet.

[Catherine]

I love camping in all its forms-but my spouse has a back that does not do well on camp cots or the ground, though he has accommodated me in the past. I suspect out tent camping days are over, but cabins are not out of the question for us, under the right circumstances.  

[vonbon]

I voted "Love it!" and I do--certain aspects anyway.  

 

But I do want to add that it (tent camping), with kids especially, is a LOT of work.  Lots of packing, lots of work while camping, and lots of clean-up when we get home.  Maybe it will become easier as our kids get older.  I really enjoy camping, but I've re-framed my expectations...I don't really view it as a "vacation" anymore and sometimes all of the energy required keeps us from doing it more often.  

 

Wanted to add that I'm really looking forward to backpacking again at some point.  More specific gear required, but in some ways there is less to prep and it's simpler.  

 

Also, camping = getting to prettier places than is generally possible with hotels. 

 

Edited March 11, 2016 by vonbon

[krsmom]

I live in the woods and see no reason to "camp". When I have the money and time, I prefer to head to the city for all that it has to offer.

[sassenach]

I grew up camping and loved it, but we have a child with major disabilities who could not get his needs met in a camping environment. It's a bummer to me, but not my dh.

[AmandaVT]

I'm a no on camping. I've only been a couple of times though. Here's what I didn't like:

 

Loud people at the campground. Nothing like trying to sleep at 2 am when people are partying loudly a few tent sites over

Cold - so cold. I don't get cold easily, but I don't like sleeping outside when it's damp and you can see your breath

Bugs

Air mattresses that deflate - we would wake up in the morning with our butts on the (cold) ground and head and feet higher, most uncomfortable

Having to hike across the buggy, cold campground to find a bathroom in the middle of the night

 

 

[Tsuga]

Tents and hikes and national parks. Love it.

[busymama7]

It's the best vacation for a large family like ours IMO. The kids are happy outside playing and not cooped up in a hotel room and it's way cheaper ;)

 

We have 9 ages 1-19 and we camp at least a few times a year usually without my husband as he sadly has to work but usually with other moms/kids. I have the bestest friends ever :). Although one of my good friends sent this to me when I asked if she wanted to go with me last October (she was totally joking as we have been camping together for years but she was tired at the moment and didn't really want to)

 

https://cdn-webimages.wimages.net/051b81cabc1496608086fd2738a3f059a434c2-wm.jpg

[LifeLovePassion]

The state parks here have camper cabins. They have bunk beds and a table. They also have heat and electricity (most anyways). You have to cook outdoors and bring sleeping bags We use them early or late in the season so we don't have to worry about overnight temps. Still have to walk to the bathrooms too.

[ScoutTN]

We don't do a ton of camping, though we enjoy it. We do enjoy our state parks and camping with Dd's AHG troop. We have not taken a major camping vacation, though, just weekends or three day trips.  I have serious back issues so my activity level and where I sleep are always things needing to be managed. 

 

 I did lots as an older teen and young adult. I want my kids to have those experiences growing up. My parents were strictly civilization people - my mom thinks anything less than a three star hotel is camping and my dad's preferred outdoor activity was golf, golf, and maybe a walk on the the beach not far from the golf course.

[Arcadia]

What is "cabin camping"? What about staying in a cabin is camping? It's a house.

There are log cabins with nothing but bare bunk beds and a single light bulb, no power outlets or heater. So we still need to bring sleeping bags, walk to the common restrooms and cook outside.

 

The one thing nice is not having to pitch a tent and being able to leave not so valuable things inside since the cabin can be locked while we go for a hike.

[thessa516]

I love, love, love camping! Now with that said, we have a travel trailer. I have a comfy bed, air conditioning/heat, shower, and my DH even has a Keurig in there... lol! We spend all day outside, hiking or fishing or boating, but when it's time to turn in after a late night in front of a campfire, I want a shower and my comfy bed. We have a little skylight above our bed, so I can still sleep under the stars. I'm counting down the days until we get her out and ready for the season!

[Zinnia]

I live in the woods and see no reason to "camp". When I have the money and time, I prefer to head to the city for all that it has to offer.

 

We live in the city, so we head to the woods for our fun.  :)

[Zinnia]

There are log cabins with nothing but bare bunk beds and a single light bulb, no power outlets or heater. So we still need to bring sleeping bags, walk to the common restrooms and cook outside.

 

The one thing nice is not having to pitch a tent and being able to leave not so valuable things inside since the cabin can be locked while we go for a hike.

 

These were so fabulous when I was largely pregnant!

[HS Mom in NC]

Yes! We love it!

We tent camp.
I'm getting old enough to be interested in getting a Jumping Jack tent trailer, but I don't have one yet.

[creekland]

Tents and hikes and national parks. Love it.

 

So simply put and so true!

 

My parents were strictly civilization people - my mom thinks anything less than a three star hotel is camping and my dad's preferred outdoor activity was golf, golf, and maybe a walk on the the beach not far from the golf course.

 

I only recall camping once when I was young.  I'm not sure why.  My dad camped in the boy scouts and tells fun stories from those days.  We've gotten my mom to go camping with us both out west and in Canada.  We almost had her along on this trip too.  She says she likes it - esp with the thermarest pad.  Air mattresses just can't hold a candle to those for ease and comfort - and the ground... that's not even on the same scale.

 

I got introduced to camping by hubby, but he always went in an Airstream in his youth.  I guess the two of us together discovered tents and fell in love.

 

Our boys have been raised with it and love it.  We have our own personal primitive campsite on our property down by a scenic creek.  One summer when we couldn't afford to travel we pretty much spent it all down there - returning to the house to get critter chores done and in bad weather - or a real bathroom, but that's it.  Even our cats followed us to the tent.  We took some old patio furniture down with us to have a table, etc.

[Rosie_0801]

I *definitely* need a decent sleeping mat. These hips won't tolerate the cheap, foam ones any more. :( 

 

Most of our camping in the last few years has been at a truck stop somewhere, on our way to somewhere else. The most memorable of these was in our little tent, held up by a tub of water and a bucket of rocks, in the Woomera Prohibited Zone.  :huh:  Dd and I giggled a lot.  :laugh:  

 

I'm hoping to go and stay a few days at the Hattah-Kulkyne national park late next month. We go there for our nature study tours several times a year, but haven't stopped there long enough to explore outside our usual walk. Hopefully the flies won't be so bad by then. 

 

 

What I don't like is camp cooking. We eat crackers, cheese, fruit and veggies or dolmades out of a tin. I'm a lazy girl, I am. :leaving:

[creekland]

What I don't like is camp cooking. We eat crackers, cheese, fruit and veggies or dolmades out of a tin. I'm a lazy girl, I am. :leaving:

 

I'm out of likes, so don't feel slighted!

 

We do a ton of simple things too, preferring to keep camping fun and easy to trying to make elaborate meals.

 

Then I'm fortunate.  Hubby considers camp cooking - all of it - to be a male job.  He and the boys have always done it - absolutely always.  They clean up too.

 

But still, I'd rather grab something and go than wait around for cooking and cleaning most of the time.

 

When we camped at the Dry Tortugas (off FL) we had to take everything in - even water.  ALL we had were easy to grab meals - no cooking - for four days.  That showed us just how easy it was to do.

[DawnM]

I have been to numerous family camps with boy scouts.

 

I hate it, even in cabins, because there is no bathroom in the cabin.

I grew up rather primitive (did not have 24 hours of electricity per day, etc....) overseas where my parents were missionaries,  I have done my "dues."

 

 

 

 

[3 ladybugs]

We camp in a travel trailer.  Right now, we can really only swing two separate weeks per summer at the beach.  But some day, we hope to branch out and go other places.  Our camper has proven to be as expensive as just renting a beach house - between the blow-outs (2!) and the campground fees and on and on.  But we just love it.  We have never taken the kids to Disney, but we hope to stay at their campground when we finally save up and make that trip.  There is also a campground Bahia Honda in the keys that we have wanted to visit for years.  It's just such a long way down from NC. 

 

As for tent camping, I was all game for that when I was a kid.  But now I'll leave it to DH and DS for their scout trips.

Good luck getting into it! My understanding is it books about 5 minutes after it becomes available! I went to the KOA on Sugarloaf and LOVED it. Plan on going back this year!

 

I come from a long line of campers. My grandmother tells a story when my grandfather HAD to gold mine and she had 2 children (my 2 aunts who are about 14 months apart) and she couldn't let them play on the floor of the camper because it was so cold. They also tell stories of all of them camping in a tent without a floor that was about 10 by 10. Later, when they retired, they sold their farm and moved into a 33 foot (or so) Itaska Suncruiser (class A). They then went around the country. I also remember them having a small class C motor home when I was a kid. 

 

My mother got a Komfort 5th wheel when I was a pre-teen. We loved camping in that thing. They got a Coast to Coast membership and it was great! Later they got a small Class A motorhome and they used it to move from Washington State to Florida. Since then my mom went to boats as that is what her current husband loves. 

 

My father for a while after the divorce, lived on a 22 foot sailboat. Trust me that was camping! Barely any room for anything in that thing! It was great. He would be living on one right now if he had his fathers, but life hasn't presented that to him yet. 

 

My husband grew up doing scouting including cave camping. When we got married we registered for a tent and stuff but didn't use it till 2012. We went camping once and realized we needed a bigger tent the next time we went out. It wasn't big enough for our family. So last year we decided to take the plunge. This is a video I made of our current set up. 

 

 

 

We have since added another sleeping bag to our bed and our son likes to sleep under the cots now. The dog hates camping and rarely goes with us. 

Edited March 11, 2016 by 3 ladybugs

[Serenade]

We camp in a motorhome.  Growing up, I tent camped with my family, and we even went on a couple of backpacking trips.  When I married my DH, he had a small Winnebago that was an inheritance from his dad.    I was kind of meh about it, given that I was a tent camper, but after trying it,  I was hooked.  Today, if we didn't have a motorhome, I couldn't camp at all because I couldn't even get off the ground due to arthritis. I admit, I still sometimes feel weird calling motorhome camping, "camping", but we try to do as much outdoors as possible, mostly coming inside just to sleep.

[Serenade]

 

 

Then I'm fortunate.  Hubby considers camp cooking - all of it - to be a male job.  He and the boys have always done it - absolutely always.  They clean up too.

 

 

 

This is the same in our family.  The guys do the camp cooking and the cleaning up, too.  We're getting ready to head out today for almost 2 weeks, and I'm really looking forward to the break in kitchen duty.   My boys are scouts, so they have had lots of practice cooking over fires and camp stoves.  My younger son makes awesome chili over the fire. It is an amazing thing to see him build a fir with kindling he gathered himself, and then cook his chili over it maintaining even heat in a heavy dutch oven.   And then clean the dutch oven afterwards. 

 

ETA: That was 2 weeks, not 12 weeks.  Oops.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Serenade

[PrincessMommy]

I love camping.. but I'm a fair weather camper.  It's no fun being stuck in a tent in the pouring rain all weekend.

 

That said, I've also gone backpacking and LOVED it.  Of course, with that you get whatever weather comes and it's harder to pack up and go home :)   But, I don't do it much and I'm way out of shape.  I'd actually be afraid to go backpacking in my current condition.  May end up seriously injured or something.  But when we camp we always go hiking. 

 

Last year we tried a teardrop trailer.  It was nice to have the extra packing space since we have a smaller vehicle and it was nice to sleep on a "bed"... but otherwise, I don't know if I really liked it that much.  We went to Greenridge State Park which has mostly dirt roads and hauling the small trailer in was a challenge. 

 

Anyway... I'm pretty picky about where I camp.  I prefer to be secluded (the main reason why I love Greenridge). 

Edited March 11, 2016 by PrincessMommy

[skimomma]

We are big campers.  We have a tiny, ancient pop-up (no bathroom or water or anything) that we use for some trips and tents for others.  I take dd a lot without dh and we always tent and we usually use a tent for late-season camping because it is easier to stay warm in a small tent than a pop-up (we seldom camp where this electric for a heater or anything).  Two summers ago, dd and I camped for 8 weekends in a row.  Dh and I used to backpack a lot and dd has done so with others but we no longer have enough gear to outfit three people at the same time so have never gone as a family.  Dd and I will frequently pack up our backpacks for a night or two on the beach.  It is not really "backpacking" since we only walk a mile or two down the beach, but it is nice to have the gear to make it easier to haul.

 

The work part has been an issue.  I used to spend a great deal of time prepping, cooking, and cleaning.  I had a little temper tantrum about five years ago when I found myself washing dishes on the ground in the dark with a headlamp.  It was 45 degrees.  I changed my philosophy after that.  For many trips, especially when it is colder, we tend to eat only things that can be cooked on sticks, in tonka pie cookers, or foil.  I still mostly avoid disposable plates/napkins/silverware but there are FAR less dishes than there used to be.  I pre-cook and prep as much as possible.  I still get cranky when all I want to do is lay in my hammock with my book, but it is far better.

 

Thermorests are non-negotiable for me.  Dh even has one of the super-thick ones.  I find them to be as comfy as my bed at home and far more comfortable than the "mattresses" in our pop-up.

 

We camp in a lot of rain.  It seems like we have bad luck with that.  Three years ago we invested in an REI canopy with detachable sides.  This has changed my life!  Having a place to cook and store things during rain has made my life so much easier.  I cannot even count how many times I have huddled under our pathetic little side-less pop-up awning trying to fry eggs while getting drenched from rain being blown under.  Or spending the first hour of the day moving around our soaking wet chairs into sun spots so we can use them again.  Never again!

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

What is "cabin camping"? What about staying in a cabin is camping? It's a house.

 

Actually not all cabins in campgrounds are equal. The cabin camping we've done is just basically a log cabin of the old days. It's a shelter, that's all. It's a large empty "room" with nothing in it. They sometimes have electricity and a ceiling fan. So no, not a house.

 

We then put our sleeping bags or set up cots in the cabin. If it rains it's better than being in a tent, and if it's too hot we have a fan. We can charge our phones in some of them, because there are outlets.

[Lady Florida.]

We camped about once a year when I was growing up in NJ, most of it in the Maryland or Delaware area (we had relatives in Delaware). We moved to Florida when I was 13, and only camped once after that. I didn't go camping again until I was an adult.

 

Camping in Florida is best done from November to March or April. I can't stand camping when it's hot, and once it gets to May, I'm done camping until late fall.
 

I added a more inclusive similar option.  Hopefully that will help!

 
Thanks. I added my vote.
 

There are log cabins with nothing but bare bunk beds and a single light bulb, no power outlets or heater. So we still need to bring sleeping bags, walk to the common restrooms and cook outside.

The one thing nice is not having to pitch a tent and being able to leave not so valuable things inside since the cabin can be locked while we go for a hike.

 
The ones we stayed in didn't even have bunk beds. Just an empty room. We brought air mattresses.
 

Then I'm fortunate.  Hubby considers camp cooking - all of it - to be a male job.  He and the boys have always done it - absolutely always.  They clean up too.
 
But still, I'd rather grab something and go than wait around for cooking and cleaning most of the time.

 
Dh always did the cooking, but I did a lot of prep work at home before we left. We did a combination of grab and go, and camp cooking. 
 
When ds was in Campfire USA they would camp in the youth campground area of various state parks. There were some things they did together but each family handled their own meals. The first time dh couldn't go with us, ds was in a panic. He grew up with dh cooking when we went camping and thought we would starve. ;) He didn't think I could handle the camp stove I guess. That weekend was a mom-win when he realized I can handle myself camping just fine without a man. :D
 

When we camped at the Dry Tortugas (off FL) we had to take everything in - even water.  ALL we had were easy to grab meals - no cooking - for four days.  That showed us just how easy it was to do.

I have always wanted to camp there. At our age and at this stage in our lives it's probably not going to happen. :(
 
My favorite primitive camping was a two-night, three day trip along the Peace River in Florida. We would canoe down the river during the day and find a place to set up camp in late afternoon. It was truly primitive, as in yes, you had to make a latrine. Dh and I were dating and went with a group. Dss was 15 at the time and was with us. It's one of our favorite camping memories.
 
My favorite semi-primitive camping was done at Cumberland Island, Georgia. That place is gorgeous. You arrive by ferry and have to haul your stuff in for about a half mile. It was easy to see who was inexperienced at that kind of camping because they brought way to much stuff to easily carry along the trail. Cumberland Island has the smartest raccoons I've ever come across when camping. That was also pre-ds, and dss was a teenager then too.
 
My favorite with ds was at Lake Kissimmee State Park. I do feel bad that he didn't experience some of the more memorable camping trips of our earlier years, but he has fond memories so I guess that's what matters.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Lady Florida